Protective frame

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a protective frame which provides a solution to the problem of protecting collectable items while on display. The protective frame includes a base and a detachable cover. The base includes an indent into which a collectable item or other item to be secured and protected may be secured. The detachable cover connects to the base with an elastic connection mechanism, such as a magnet, and extends beyond the sides of the base. The detachable cover is detached when the protective frame receives a shock by falling from a wall to the ground or for any other reasons.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.63/270,211 filed on Oct. 21, 2021.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is a protective frame, which provides a solutionto the problem of protecting collectable items while on display.

BACKGROUND

Various forms of protective cases exist for collectable items such astrading cards and comic books. Graded collectible items often include aprotective plastic case around the collectable item. Graded collectibleitems often have to be regraded if the protective plastic case has to bereplaced. The grading process requires an expert and can be costly andtime consuming.

In order to prevent the protective case from being damaged, protectivedevices exist for these protective plastic cases. However, theseprotective cases often provide insufficient protection for thecollectible item when the frame is accidentally dropped from a wall orother high place to the ground.

SUMMARY

The disclosed device is a protective frame for collectible itemscomprising a base and a detachable cover. The device is unique whencompared with other known devices and solutions because the detachablecover absorbs shocks by being detached from the base when the framereceives the shocks. More specifically, the frame is unique due to thepresence of an elastic connection between the detachable cover and thebase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an example perspective front view of a protective frame.

FIG. 1B is an example perspective rear view of the protective frame ofFIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective front view of the protective frame ofFIGS. 1A-1B.

FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective rear view of the protective frame ofFIGS. 1A-1B.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a base of the protective frame of FIGS. 1A-1B.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view of the protective frame of FIGS. 1A-1B takenat the sectioning plane and in the direction indicated by section lines4-4.

FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the protective frame of FIG. 4A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claimsbelow, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particularfeatures of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure ofthe invention in this specification includes all possible combinationsof such particular features. For example, where a particular feature isdisclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of theinvention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used—to theextent possible—in combination with and/or in the context of otherparticular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in theinvention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used hereinto mean that other components, ingredients, steps, etc. are optionallypresent. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”)components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A,B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but alsocontain one or more other components.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or moredefined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order orsimultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), andthe method can include one or more other steps which are carried outbefore any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, orafter all the defined steps (except where the context excludes thatpossibility).

The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote thestart of a range including that number (which may be a range having anupper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined).For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most”followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range,including that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lowerlimit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variablebeing defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “atmost 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, arange is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a firstnumber)-(a second number),” this means a range whose limits include bothnumbers. For example, “25 to 100” means a range whose lower limit is 25,upper limit is 100, and includes both 25 and 100.

As a preface to the detailed description, it should be noted that, asused in this specification, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

FIG. 1A shows an example perspective front view of a frame 100 showingthe side of a detachable cover 200. FIG. 1B shows an example perspectiverear view of the protective frame showing the side of a base 300. Thedetachable cover 200 cooperates with the base 300 to enclose acollectible item 400 as illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2B. The collectible item400 is securely wrapped by a top protective case 420 and a bottomprotective case 430, collectively called a protective case 410, asillustrated in FIGS. 2A-2B. If the collectible item 400 is a gradedcollectible item, the frame 100 retains the collectible item 400 as itis contained inside the protective case 410 without having to open ormodify the protective case 410. Therefore, there is no need to regradethe collectible item 300 when it is taken out of the frame 100 andredecorated. The top protective case 420 is usually made of transparentplastic material such that the contents of the front cover of thecollectible item 400 may be visible. As shown in FIG. 1A, the detachablecover 200 has an opening its center in a generally rectangular shapesuch that the top protective case 420 is exposed through which thecontents of the front cover of the collectible item 400 may be visible.

The detachable cover 200 and the body 300 may have other shapes than arectangle or have additional design effects added thereon as well. Thedetachable cover 200 and/or the body 300 may be made of durablematerials including plastic, wood, metal, plaster, or other similarmaterials.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the base 300 may include a rim 310 and acollectible item receptacle 320. The rim 310 may be flat and extendaround the collectible item receptacle 320. The base 300 may alsoinclude a hanging hole 330 at the center of the rear side of the base300. The hanging hole 330 may be used to hang the frame 100 on the wallin cooperation with a nail, a hook, or any other hanging objects securedon a wall or any other objects. In some embodiments, there may be morethan one hanging hole. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, thedetachable cover 200 is in a concave shape receiving the base 300 in itshollow structure. There is a gap 340 between the inside perimeter of thedetachable cover 200 and the outside perimeter of the base 300. In someembodiments, there may be a shock absorbing material (not shown) alongthe gap 340. The shock absorbing material may be made of soft plasticmaterial, rubber, or foam providing cushion against sudden mechanicalshocks, such as when the frame 100 falls on the ground and the positionof the detachable cover 200 shifts with respect to the base 300.

In some embodiments, the detachable cover 200 is not in a concave shape.For example, the detachable cover 200 may be flat. In this embodiment,the detachable cover 200 extends larger than the exterior of the base300, such that when the frame 100 receives a shock by falling on theground or any other accident, the detachable cover 200 takes the firsthit and receives most of the shock and slides open with respect to thebase 300. In this way, the shock on the base 300 is reduced and theshocks received by the protective case 410 and the collectible item 400that are housed in the base 300 are reduced.

FIGS. 2A-2B show example exploded views of the frame 100. FIG. 2A is aperspective view from the side of the detachable cover 200, and FIG. 2Bis a perspective view from the side of the base 300. The collectibleitem receptacle 320 is in a hollow or concave shape at its centerdefining an indent to receive the collectible item 400 enclosed insidethe protective case 410. In some embodiments, the indent may snuggly fitthe protective case 410 without any space between the protective case410 and the collectible item receptacle 320. In other embodiments, thereis a space between the protective case 410 and the collectible itemreceptacle 320 where an insert 350 made of shock-absorbing material(shown in FIG. 3 ) such as soft plastic, rubber, or foam may be placedin the space providing additional protection against shocks. The insert350 may cover the entire interior of the collectible item receptacle 320or may cover only portions of sides and a back of the collectible itemreceptacle 320.

The shapes of the top protective case 420 and the bottom protective case430 are exemplary only and they may be in different shapes and sizesdepending on the different shapes and sizes of collectible items. Thereare commercially available standardized protective cases for somecollectible items such as comic books, and in some embodiments, the base300 is shaped to snuggly house one of the standardized protective cases.In some embodiments, the base 300 may have two or more collectible itemreceptacles 320 to accommodate two or more collectible items 400 in oneframe 100.

In some embodiments, a slot 360 is located near the far end of the base300 from the hanging hole 330. The slot 360 extends from a bottom sideof the rim 310 such that one end of the protective case 410 may be slidinside the base 300 under the slot 360. After that, the other end of theprotective case 410 is secured by a locking bar 500 that is inserted ina locking bar socket 370. The locking bar socket 370 may extend across aportion of the collectible item receptacle 320. In some embodiments, thelocking bar 500 has a locking tongue 510 and a couple of locking clips520, and the locking bar socket 370 has a structure corresponding to thelocking tongue 510 and locking clips 520, such that the locking bar 500may be securely attached onto the base 300. FIG. 3 shows an example topview of the base 300 showing the locking bar socket 370, the slot 360,and the insert 350. However, any other well-known method of securing aflat item in a hollow area may be used to secure the protective case 410in the collectible item receptacle 320. For example, instead of onelocking bar 500 and the slot 360, two locking bars may be attached tothe opposite sides of the base 300.

Referring back to FIGS. 2A-2B, the rim 310 of the base 300 has aplurality of first connectors 600, each embedded in a first connectorhousing 380 or otherwise attached to the rim 310. The first connectors600 may include magnets, sticky tack, clips, or other materials thatprovide a detachable, elastic connection with their corresponding secondconnectors 610, which is a connection that stretches and applies arestoring force as the first connectors 600 and the second connectors610 are separated from each other. Each of the second connectors 610 isembedded in a second connector housing 210 in the detachable cover 200or otherwise attached to the detachable cover 200. The second connectors610 include magnets, sticky tack, clips, or other materials. Asdescribed above, the second connectors 610, paired with the firstconnectors 600, provide a detachable, elastic connection. The connectionbetween the first connectors 600 and the second connectors 610 holds thedetachable cover 200 and the base 300 in place.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B, the first connectors 600may be located in the four corners of the base 300. In otherembodiments, the first connectors 600 may be located in any and as manyplaces as needed around the rim 310 of the base 300 in order to providesufficient force to hold the detachable cover 200 and the base 300together when the frame 100 is hanging on the wall or any other object.

In an exemplary embodiment, a detachable, elastic connection is madebetween two magnets facing each other with opposite poles. As themagnets are pulled apart the magnets continue to exert a force on eachother toward each other. In another exemplary embodiment, the firstconnectors 600 may be magnets and the second connectors 610 may be madeof ferromagnetic material, such as stainless steel. In another exemplaryembodiment, a tacky substance provides an elastic connection because asthe tacky substance is pulled apart, the tacky substance resists beingpulled apart as it is deformed.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B, the first connectors 600may have a cylindrical shape with their circular surface facing thesecond connectors 610. However, in other embodiments, the firstconnectors 600 may have different shapes with different shapes of theirsurfaces, including but not limited to, a square or a rectangle. Thesecond connectors 610 may have a shape corresponding to the shape of thesurfaces of the first connectors 600 suitable for providing a sufficientconnecting force to hold the detachable cover 200 and the base 300together. For example, the second connectors 610 may have a cylindricalshape corresponding to the cylindrical shape of the first connectors600.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view of the frame 100 taken at the sectioningplane and in the direction indicated by section lines 4-4 shown in FIG.1A. FIG. 4B is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 4A. As shown in FIGS.4A-4B, in some embodiments, the first connectors 600 protrude slightlyabove the surface of the base 200. For example, the first connectors 600protrude about ⅛ of an inch above the surface of the base 200. Thesecond connectors 610 have a concave contour facing and corresponding tothe protruding surface of the first connectors 600. In an embodimentwhere the first connectors 600 have a cylindrical shape, the shape ofthe second connectors 610 may be a cylinder with a smooth depression atthe center of the cylinder like a crater. Alternatively, the shape ofthe second connectors 610 may be a cylinder with a depression like around tray comprised of a flat area and a slope around the flat area.The highest points of the second connectors 610 are flush with the innersurface of the detachable cover 200, such that when the detachable cover200 closes on the base 300 there is no gap between the surfaces of thedetachable cover 200 and the base 300. In some embodiments, the concavecontour of the second connectors 610 are shaped in a slanted form tofacilitate the detachment of the detachable cover 200 from the base 300when there is a shock or shear force applied in the horizontal directionas indicated by a horizontal arrow 620. In these embodiments, because ofthe concave contour of the second connectors 610 around the protrusionof the first connectors 600, when there is a shear force applied in thedirection of the arrow 620, part of the force is transformed into aforce in the vertical direction as indicated by a vertical arrow 630.This vertical force allows for or helps the detachment of the detachablecover 200 from the base 300. Because the detachable cover 200 isdetached from the base 300 by a shock, part of the shock is exerted onlyon the detachable cover 200 but not to the base 300. At the same time,the base 300 is decelerated before hitting the ground during the timethe detachable cover 200 is being detached from the base 300, whichreduces the impact of the shock on the base 300. In this way, thestructure of the first connectors 600 and the second connectors 610works as a shock absorber for the base 300, providing further protectionto the collectible item 400.

A very stiff strong connector such as a peg or nail will not provide thesame advantage of the first connectors 600 and the second connectors 610because the stiff connector will cause the detachable cover 200 and thebase 300 to decelerate at the same rate and not allow them to moverelative to one another. A very fragile connector will similarly notprovide the same advantage as the first connectors 600 and the secondconnectors 610 because the fragile connector will break withoutdecelerating the base 300 before hitting the ground.

The detachable cover 200 and the base 300 may be sized and arranged forcollectible items which are trading card size (generally around 2 inchesby 3 inches), comic book size (generally around 7 inches by 10 inches),or any other size. The strength of the first connectors 600 and thesecond connectors 610 may be optimized for the weight and size of thebase 300 but generally for comic book sized and trading card sizedcollectible items. Magnets that require a force of about 10-20 pounds toseparate will provide sufficient elastic force to decelerate the base300 such that the insert 350 can prevent damage to the protective case410 and the collectible item 400.

Accordingly, the present description provides for various embodimentsfor a protective frame 100 including a detachable cover 200 and a base300. Many uses and advantages are offered by the frame as describedabove in one or more non-limiting embodiments in the presentdescription.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of anymeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. The present invention, according to one ormore embodiments described in the present description, may be practicedwith modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of theappended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrativeinstead of restrictive of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a base including a rim and areceptacle, wherein the receptacle defines an indent sized to hold anitem, wherein the rim comprises a first surface and one or more firstconnectors disposed on the first surface; and a detachable coverincluding a body and one or more second connectors, wherein the bodyfurther comprises a second surface, the one or more second connectorsare disposed on the second surface, and the body defines a hollowthrough which the item can be viewed when the one or more secondconnectors are connected to the one or more first connectors and theitem is in the receptacle.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein thedetachable cover, when the one or more first connectors are connected tothe one or more second connectors, extends beyond the rim of the base.3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more first connectors areconnected to the one or more second connectors by an elastic force. 4.The device of claim 3, wherein the one or more first connectors areconnected to the one or more second connectors by a magnetic force. 5.The device of claim 4, wherein the one or more first connectors includea magnet and the one or more second connectors include a magnet.
 6. Thedevice of claim 4, wherein the one or more first connectors include amagnet and the one or more second connectors are ferromagnetic.
 7. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the detachable cover is detachable from thebase by a shock.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein the shock includes aforce in a direction parallel to the second surface.
 9. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more first connectors have a protrusion fromthe first surface, and the one or more second connectors are flush withthe second surface and have a depressed contour corresponding to theprotrusion.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first surface and thesecond surface touch each other when the one or more first connectorsare connected to the one or more second connectors.
 11. The device ofclaim 9, wherein the protrusion is in a cylindrical shape.
 12. Thedevice of claim 9, wherein the protrusion is in a cuboidal shape. 13.The device of claim 9, wherein the protrusion is ⅛ of an inch.
 14. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the receptacle further comprises an insert.15. The device of claim 14, wherein the insert is a shock-absorbingmaterial.
 16. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or morelocking bars.
 17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a slot and alocking bar.
 18. The device of claim 1, wherein the item is enclosed ina protective case, and the indent is sized to hold the item enclosed inthe protective case.
 19. The device of claim 1, further comprising ahanging hole.